Margot Robbie’s Barbie Movie: It’s Already Getting Raves
Margot Robbie is Barbie and Ryan Gosling is Ken in the live-action movie that will release in theaters on July 21, 2023
It didn’t really seem like a live-action movie about one of the most vapid characters and dolls we’ve ever seen would actually draw some huge names for an adaptation. But this is a new world of content we are living in now and literally, anything is possible. That would seem to be the case with the upcoming Barbie movie which will star Margot Robbie as the titular blonde bombshell.
Given the star power here with Robbie and others, there’s real potential this movie is not only good, but spawns some sort of live-action franchise around the character. Welcome to a new age of content where it would seem anything is possible. Let’s take a look at everything we know about the Margot Robbie Barbie movie.
MARGOT ROBBIE IS BARBIE IN THIS LIVE-ACTION MOVIE
Plans for a Barbie movie had been floating around for years with a number of different names attached. The company that owns the rights to the character, Mattel, had entered into production deals a few times with a couple of different studios hoping to land on the right kind of project and tone for a live-action movie.
Considering the animated offerings, by and large, have taken on a tongue-in-cheek humor tone, it stood to reason this was the direction they wanted to go. Some names attached early in the process suggested this was the case as well.
But it wasn’t until 2019 when Margot Robbie was confirmed to play the part of Barbie in the movie did things start to get “real”, so to speak. It’s one thing to shoot for different stars to headline a film, it’s totally different to actually nab one of the most sought-after actresses in the industry.
Putting Margot Robbie front and center here, in all her blondness, instantly lent feasible credibility to a flick that really could have gone sideways considering the source material and the character herself.
Casting Margot Robbie as Barbie feels perfect on a number of different levels. She definitely looks the part of the almost comically “perfect” character that first hit shelves all the way back in 1959. Since then, Barbie has been almost synonymous with a weird sort of unattainable beauty and bodily shape, even falling under some scrutiny in recent years for its portrayal of the “average” woman.
But there’s no doubt that even with some of the backlash, the character is more than iconic, having been part of the zeitgeist for decades now, spanning multiple generations of kids (and even adults) who’ve flocked to the shelves. So, with Margot Robbie on board, who else is in the mix for this Barbie film.
RYAN GOSLING IS KEN
For starters, there is no Barbie without Ken and the movie landed another huge name to pair with the eponymous character. That’s going to be Ryan Gosling who will take on the well-coiffed, and seemingly perfectly sculpted “better half” for Barbie. Gosling’s casting was announced in 2022 and we’ve already gotten some first glimpses at what these two will look like for the film (more on that in a bit).
WILL FERRELL IS THE CEO OF MATTEL
There have been other casting additions as well, though not all have firm confirmation around who they will be playing. There’s Will Ferrell who is rumored to possibly be playing the villain in the film. It would make sense and he could be following some kind of line of Mugatu from Zoolander. He is confirmed to be playing the CEO of Mattel, and one would have to assume in this current landscape that he’s seen as nothing more than a bad guy.
The Barbie movie will also have some other versions of Barbie and Ken, presumably other dolls that are out and about in this universe. Playing other Barbies are Issa Rae and Hari Nef. Other Kens include Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa.
And these are far from the only names joining Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. There’s also going to be America Ferrera, Rhea Perlman, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Michael Cera, Dua Lipa, and Emerald Fennell.
FIRST LOOKS AT THE BARBIE MOVIE
With production underway for Barbie, we’ve been treated to some set photos leaking out that show just want we might be dealing with for this film. For starters, there was Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling completely neon-ed out while rollerblading for a scene. This all looked just a little too perfect all things considered. Check out the vibe these two are pulling off:
Plus, did you want to see what these two would actually look like in a Barbie and Ken toy box? Well, wish granted on that one.
And then there was Will Ferrell, presumably in a similar scene, trying to catch the pair on his own blades. He’s dressed in a suit and looking very corporate, but also very out of place (purposefully so) in contrast to his Barbie counterparts. Take a look:
And what would Ken be without looking just a little too perfect? One of the first shots of Ryan Gosling head-on came out a week or so ago and gave an updated look at what’s to expect from this character.
And finally, take a look at Margot Robbie is what could be the perfect casting for the character:
GRETA GERWIG IS DIRECTING AND AND NOAH BAMBAUCH WROTE THE SCRIPT
It isn’t just big names like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling wrapped up in this Barbie movie. There are some creatives behind the lens that helps give the flick some goodwill as well. Greta Gerwig is set to direct and she also helped pen the screenplay.
Gerwig first made a big name for herself with Lady Bird which was a surprise hit and garnered Gerwig Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay nominations at that year’s Academy Awards. She followed that up with Little Women which also earned a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Along with Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach helped pen the screenplay as well. The writer and director has a number of critically acclaimed movies under his belt over the last couple of years. These include A Marriage Story, The Meyerowitz Stories, and Greenberg. And he’s also worked with Wes Anderson on movies like Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Aquatic Life with Steve Zissou.
BARBIE WILL BE IN THEATERS ON JULY 21, 2023
Even though the Barbie movie is shooting now, it’s still going to be some time until Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and others are on the big screen. The planned release date right now for Barbie is July 21, 2023. So it will be mid-summer of next year when it hit theaters. By some early names that are onboard and who we have behind the camera, there are reasons to suspect this is actually a pretty funny and entertaining movie.
